


Look in the Eye

by I_Gave_You_Fair_Warning



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Mass Murder, Orbital Bombardment, Sad Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-07
Updated: 2017-12-07
Packaged: 2019-02-11 18:05:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12940788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_Gave_You_Fair_Warning/pseuds/I_Gave_You_Fair_Warning
Summary: The Republic ships guarding the planet have been destroyed, leaving the ground troops stranded with Separatist warships low in the sky and nowhere to run. Obi-Wan tries one last time to protect them.





	Look in the Eye

Dooku looked him in the eye when Obi-Wan Kenobi's face went pale with horror.

“There's villagers here,” Obi-Wan breathed, voice rasping as his clones watched in growing dread. “ _ Children,  _ Dooku. Children innocent of the crimes you claim we have perpetrated, let  _ them  _ go at least—”

The hologram of the Count, safely aboard his capital ship low in the atmosphere, sneered. “Would you _beg,_ Master Kenobi?”

Clones and Padawan alike caught their breath, then felt a mixture of nausea and pride when Obi-Wan replied.

“For their lives? Yes.”

“Then do so.”  
Obi-Wan's gaze broke from the Count's, peered up into the sky where they could see the ships waiting, massive cannons aimed. “Please, Dooku. We'll surrender.”

“ _ Surrender _ ? You have nowhere to go, and no way of fighting back. I do not want your  _ surrender. _ ”

“What, then? What is it you want?”

Cody could see the dread creeping across his General's face, the tremble in his hands, the weight of what was about to happen crushing him.

“I want you dead and out of my way.”

Kenobi grasped at that strand of hope. “You may have that. I will not resist. You may kill me. I give you my word. Just  _ please,  _ do not obliterate  _ this entire village  _ of noncombatants _ — _ ”

“Your despair is sweet, Kenobi. Why would I give it up?”

Even as Obi-Wan cried out, “ _ Grandmaster! _ ” the Count's form disappeared.

Obi-Wan dropped the disk like it was burning.

_ This whole place will be burning in a moment. _ Cody had seen the aftermath of orbital bombardment before.

Obi-Wan turned slowly to meet his gaze, looking like he'd aged decades in a heartbeat.

His locked glance with Cody only lasted a moment before it moved on, skipping along the grim faces of 212 th and 501 st alike.

“I'm sorry,” he whispered, looking broken, sick.

The last brothers who still wore their helmets pulled them off.

Their General. When neither power nor tongue had been able to save those who had no one but him  _ to  _ save them—

Commander Tano flung herself into his arms, and he held her tight, face crumpling as he cradled the head buried in his chest.

And then the sky turned orange, and both Cody and Obi-Wan looked up.

“Cody, it was an honor,” Obi-Wan murmured, voice strangely calm.

The Clone somehow managed a nod, though tears blurred his eyes. “Likewise, Sir.”

Obi-Wan bent his head over Ahsoka's, pressing a kiss between her montrals as the first beam struck. It took out a third of the village and most of Skywalker's men, sloughing flesh off bone and  _ melting  _ armor.

Not even skeletons of houses remained in the fires that raged in  _ green grass.  _ There was nothing left.

More fell around them, impossibly big, and Cody stood by his General, refusing to run, knowing running was  _ pointless.  _

_ If we have to die, we'll do it looking Death in the eye. _

He found he didn't envy Skywalker for being away and surviving the slaughter.

Perhaps it was better to go with your brothers than wander the universe alone with only memories to haunt and soothe.

Obi-Wan raised his head and looked at Cody. A tear slipped from the Jedi's eye, but he gave Cody a smile that said everything Cody had ever needed to hear.

In the space of a heartbeat, a bolt of crimson took them, stilling Kenobi's loyal heart and Cody's as one.

 


End file.
